Fertilizer-distributer for seed-planters



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No'Model.)

A. o. EVANS.

' 4 FERTILIZBR DIS'TRIBUTQR FOB, SEED PLANTERS. 10-295.523..

'Patented Mar. 25, 1884.

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2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.) A. G. EVANS'. Y

FBRTILIZER DISTRIBUTER FOR SBEDIPLANTERS. N0. 295,528.f Y Patented Mam. 25.18814.

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1INIT-ED STATES AUSTIN c. nvANs, or SPRINGFIELD, oHIo.

FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER FOR SEED-PLANTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,528, dated March 25, 1884.

' Application filed August 29, 1883. (Nomodel.) i

.Toa/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit knofwn that I,V AUSTIN C. EvANs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, inthe county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fertilizing-Distributers for Seed-Planters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to fertilizing-distributers for seed-planters.

My invention consists, first, in the construction of the fertilizer-hopper with a wire screen therein, to prevent any lumps or foreign substances from getting into and obstructing the dropping devices, a'sthe screen wholly prevents 'anything but the iiner particles passing through it, thus rendering the fertilizer substance better adapt'ed for dropping or sowing than when used in the ordinary fertilizer-hopper; second, in the incasement of the rotating shaft which extends through the fertilizer-hopper for driving the discharge-wheel, whereby the fertilizer substance is prevented from getting into the bearings of the same, and thus stopping the movement of the sowing devices; third, in the manner of retaining the connecting revoluble shaft. and its gearing in adjustiiment.

e Two sheets of drawings accompany this speciiication-Sheet 1, with Figures l and 2, and Sheet 2, with Figs.'3 to 14, inclusive.

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of atwo-horse seedplanter with my improved fertilizing-distributer applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the fertilizer-hopper with the actuating mechanism on the outside of the same. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the same with a portion of the shield broken away to exhibit theA discharge-wheel and feed-disk. Fig.` 5 is a view of the inside of the fertilizer-hopper with the screen removed. Fig; 6 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a top view ofthe screen, which iits into the hopper about three inches from the top. Fig. S is a view of the lever andits attached pawls, shown on the front of the hopper in Fig. 3, as seen from the reversed side.4 Fig. 9 is a top view of the slide-bar and the front middle line of the hopper.

gaging with the top end of the pivoted lever seen on the front of the4 fertilizer-hopper in Fig. 3, for actuating the devices therein. Fig. 10 exhibits face and front views of the ratchet `and stop wheel on the front end of dischargewheel shaft outside of the hopper, over which the actuating-lever is pivoted. Fig. 11 shows side and end views of the connecting revoluble shaft, the part shown being the section having the gearing thereon, also the sleeve in which its end is pivoted. Fig. 12 is aview of the pivotal end of the shaft seen' inFig. 11.. Fig. 13 exhibits side and edge views of the staple-shaped key or pin which retains the shaft in adjustment. Fig. 14 isa cross-section of the discharge-wheel shaft Vand the casing inclosing the saine.

A is the fertilizer-hopper, which is of the usual square tapering form, but is made much longer than ordinary hoppers, extending down almost to the lower end of the seed-tube. It is supported upon the horizontal bracket-irons a2, whichextend directly backward from the main cross-bar of the planter j, and are bolted to either side of the hopper. These bracketshaped tosupport the hopper rmly.

The fertilizer.-distributing devices consist of a droppin g-disl: rotating within thehopper, the teeth of which pass outside at the rear side of the same, near the bottom, and a driving and discharge wheel, also onthe outside of the hopper, on the end of the shaft g, which extends through" the same, said discharge-wheel engaging with the teeth of the dropping-disk, as shown in Patent No..280,360, to A. C. Evans, July 3, 1883, fertilizing attachment for cornplanters.77

The actuating devices consist of a curved toothed ratchet-wheel on the opposite end of the shaft g from the discharge-wheel j' on the front side of the hopper, and a peculiarshaped verticallever, which extends from the top to near the bottom of the hopper, and is pivoted near its middle part over the ratchet-wheel upolra journal extending horizontally from It is` hat from the journalb downward, and has two lateral arms, c2 and c, extending therefrom outward, arm cz being below the arm c3. A

pawl is pivoted. upon a horizontal pivot upon-- ICO , and below the tail of the pawl.

' from left to right.

, ing a weighted rear end.

the inner side of each of these arms, the cngaging ends of which extendl to the middle longitudinal line of the lever, and engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel C on the end of shaft g, which latter extends through the front side of the hopper. Pawl c is pivoted to the inner side of the upper arm, c3, of the lever, and its short tail end oscillates between stops t" f', extending inward from the end of the arm, across the line of the same, above The lower arm, c2, extending in the opposite direction, has a reversed pawl, c, pivoted thereto, hav- The rear extension of this pawl also oscillates between stops t t' on the end of arm o2. Both pawls engage with teeth e' of the ratchet-wheel C', rotating` shaft g, and causing the wheel f to drive the disk h as the lever C is oscillated toward either side, as seen by the dotted lines, Fig. 3. The journal b, on which lever() is pivoted, extends from the plate b', seen bolted upon the front of the hopper A under C. A segv ment, b, extends outward from plate b, having a tooth, 1, at either end, (see Figs. 3 and 5,) between which lever C oscillates, and which arrests the movement of the latter at the end of each throw. When lever C is moved to the right or left, motion is communicated to the ratchet-wheel C by pawls c and c engaging with its teeth c', and the movement of C is arrested at each throw of the lever by stops c, (seen projecting from its front side, Figs. 3 and 10,) which come in contact with stops 2, (seen on the inner side of G, projecting above pawl c and below pawl c from arms c2 and c3, in Fig. 8,) stops or lugs c on ratchet-wheel C striking each of the stops 2 on lever O alternately at theV end of each movement. In the view Fig. 3, ratchet-wheel C revolves The top end of stem d3 of lever C engages with notch n in the rear side of drive frame E, (which latter is bolted to the drive-bar D,) and motion is thereby communicated to the lever and dropping devices by the hand-lever, in the usual manner, being connected with the latter.

By the use of the long hopper A, and the intermediate lever, C, and its operative pawls,the dropping devices of the fertilizer are brought much nearer to the ground and the fertilizerdust dropped with more accuracy, and, as a much shorter discharge-tube can be used, the lodgment of the fertilizer-dust therein is obviated. A hollow casing of cast metal, G, as-

seen in Figs. 5 and 14, of cuneiform shape in its cross-section, is used to cover the shaft g with its longitudinal angle on the top side. This casing completely covers and protects the shaft and its bearings from the fertilizer.

.The screen a is seen in Figs. 2 and 7. In the latter figure it is shown enlarged. It is particles only pass down through it, while the coarser lumps are left on the screen, and can be afterward broken up with the hands. As fertilizer compounds containing volatile salts absorb dampness and become hard, the advantage of using the screen will be seen. The screen a rests on cleats nailed to the inside of the hopper-box.

The adjustable shaft H, which connects the drive gear-wheel F with the dropping devices when the machine is operated automatically, has two pinions, n and n, on its gear-section, which latter is adapted to be shifted endwise through the sleeve 71, in engaging either of those pinions. 12, is circumferentially grooved at k 7c, to allow the key 7c to be inserted through. holes in the sleeve-piece h and across the shaft through groove 7s. A small split, pin, p, is inserted through a hole in the end of one of the limbs of it, to prevent the key from slipping out, Figs.'11 and 13. The key is withdrawn to shift the shaft in changing the drop to a longer or shorter distance. To protect the dischargewheel f and dropping-disk h from dirt that may be thrown off the wheels of the planter, a sheet-metal shield, d', is used to cover them. This has its upper end nailed to the hopper above f, and extends down over the upper edge of spout s, being bent near the top end, as seen in Fig. 6. l

I claim as my invention* v1 In a fertilizin g attachment for a two-horse corn-planter, the combination, with the fertilizer-hopper and the sowing devices in the bottom of the same, of a fixed screen inclosed within said hopper over said sowing devices, for the purpose of preventing lumps of the fertilizer substance from getting into and obstructing the movement of said sowing devices.

2. In a fertilizing attachment having its dropping-disk driven from a shaft extending through the hopper, and having a ratchetwheel on its outer end, the combination therewith' of avertical oscillating lever pivoted over said ratchet-wheel provided with pawls adapted to engage the teeth of the latter, and having its top end engaged with a notch in the drive,- frame on the slide-bar,whereby an oscillating movement is given to said lever, communicating an interrupted rotary motion to the dropping deviees, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the dropping devices and the ratchet-wheel on the outer end of the driving -shaft, having lugs extending therefrom, of the pivoted oscillating lever formed with lateral arms having pawls pivoted thereon, engaging the teeth of said ratchetwheel, and provided also with a stop on each of its arms, adapted to engage with the lugs on the ratchet-wheel at each throw of said lever, as and for the purpose set forth.'

4. In a fertilizing attachment for a seed- Its pivotal end, as seen in Fig.

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planter, a vertical lever pivoted upon the front of the hopper between the slide-bar and the dropping devices, having lateral arms extending therefrom and provided with pawls and stops, engaging with the teeth and lugs of a ratchet-wheel on the end of the driving-shaft of said dropping devices, said lever being ene gaged with and operated by the slide-bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combinatiomwith lever C, having the lateral arms c2 and a, provided with stops i' `and t" on the ends of the same, of the pivoted pawls c and c', having a tail extension between the stops, which latter govern the movement of said pawls and prevent their disengagement a the combination therewith of a series of grooves corresponding with the number of A pinions, and a key for securing said shaft in adj ustment7 exten ding through the sleeve with- 2 5 in which lit is pivoted, and adapted to engage the groove corresponding with the engaging pinion.

8. In a two-horse'eoruplanter having a fertilizer attachment, a shield attached to the 3o outside of the fertilizer-hopper over the discharge-wheel, between the covering-wheel and the discharge-spout, whereby dirt is prevented from dropping from off said covering-wheel into said discharge-spout with the fertilizer.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 4

AUSTIN C. EVANS.

Vitnesses:

A. FERRELL, B. C. CONVERSE. 

